Emotion psychology meets cyber security in IoT smart homes (Cocoon”)

In the past, cyberattacks would be largely limited to cyberspace, but since the advent of the Internet of Things (IoT) they now routinely extend to the physical world, with smart homes, cars, wearables and other highly computerized and networked systems becoming victim to cyberattacks. In the European project ‘Cocoon: Emotion psychology meets cyber-physical security in IoT smart homes’ the focus is on smart homes. The home ought to be a safe haven where the occupant can experience a sense of privacy and control, of personal autonomy, and the integrity of one's self and one's family members. These qualities are at stake when the IoT network security is compromised. This project is a collaboration between TU/e, University of Reading, University of Greenwich, Gent University, and ETH Zurich.

The project combines technological research in the domain of cybersecurity and psychological research on people’s reactions to IoT or smart home related cyberattacks, including the effects on people’s relationships with their home (e.g., place attachment).By taking such interdisciplinary approach, the project aims to better understand the risks and possible long-terms consequences of cyberattacks, but also to develop and test novel tools for intrusion detection and for educating home owners in how to best manage their IoT / smart home infrastructure and data (e.g. through visualization methods). A large part of the research will be conducted in naturalistic field trials involving households in the participating countries. The HTI group will be actively involved in setting up these field trials and conducting psychological research aimed at explaining the short- and long-term effects of cyberattacks on occupants’ sense of home and related well-being.